Sanctuary
by Sheba the Lone Wolf
Summary: He was the only friend she had ever known. Her safe and blissful sanctuary. RikuxOC. Songfic, fluffy.


**Disclaimer: Sheba the Lone Wolf does not own Kingdom Hearts or the song. Zahara, however, is mine.**

**Pairing: Riku/OC.**

**Song: "Sanctuary" by Utada Hikaru.**

**A/N: I have writer's block at the moment, and this is just for practice until I can get back to Kingdom Hearts II. Reviews are appreciated. Flamers will be blocked.**

**Sanctuary**

She was a tall, slender girl, her legs long and sleek, her pastel lips as flawlessly smooth as her alabaster skin. Her eyes, a distinctive shade of fuchsia, were underlined and overshadowed by long, dark eyelashes, each an individual feather of black. Her jet black hair, its texture reminiscent to fine silk, was styled into a stack, her longer bangs, tipped with a bright hot pink, falling over one exotic eye and hiding it from view. Her pale, slender throat was adorned with a black choker decorated with dark rhinestones, a black top clinging to her torso, tight jeans hugging her legs, while converses clad her petite feet. Underneath either eye, a row of bright pink tattoos laid, a distinctive marking of her face. Three minute, silver studs adorned her left ear, two diamond rhinestones and a silver hoop in her right. Her appearance was beyond unique, but she was far from unappealing.

Her name was Zahara. Her life had been cruel, the constant danger and endless threats claiming the lives of her entire family during the first year of her life. Even as she fled from world-to-world, sometimes staying no longer than a matter of hours before she left again, the darkness was a relentless foe, snapping at her heels with each step, threatening to consume her at any moment.

Nonetheless, Zahara had remained strong, her will to survive serving as her guide. She considered herself lucky; by the time of her first years as a teenager, the darkness would have destroyed her if she were a normal human. But, as well as fighting to keep the darkness from her shoulders, she had struggled to keep her darkest secret from disapproving eyes: she was a werewolf.

Her wolf embodiment was powerful, massive and fast and strong. One hale of her terrifying jaws was enough to slaughter the average human. When the silver-haired boy named Riku first met Zahara, it was her unearthly strength that caught his attention immediately. He had watched in mingled feelings of astonishment and hunger as Zahara fought, returning to her human embodiment only after her final foe had fallen. The entire fight, though over thirty Heartless had attacked, had lasted no more than two minutes.

Riku befriended Zahara, who had, since her first days of life, when even her siblings refused to interact with her, never known friendship. Riku's companionship was a welcomed relief, healing the wounds her loneliness had opened. A matter of seconds after names and salutations were exchanged, Zahara was loyal to him. Even as Riku demanded her to fight, using her trust for her brutal strength, her instant loyalty for him remained unyielding. With every move Riku made, Zahara followed in his shadow, always eager to obey whatever command he had. Even in the time the two spent together, Zahara following Riku's orders and Riku obeying Maleficent's demands, he failed to ever notice the gleaming adulation in her eyes.

_In you and I, there's a new land_

_Angels in flight_

_(I need more affection than you know)_

_My sanctuary, my sanctuary_

_Where fears and lies melt away_

_Music in time_

_(I need more affection than you know)_

_What's left of me, _

_What's left of me now? _

As a surprisingly human creature, Zahara had, naturally, had minor crushes on others before, the occasional male werewolf unintentionally winning her attention from time to time. Even so, she had never been in a relationship with anyone; due to her odd coloration, labeled as an imperfection in the bloodlines by her kind, the other werewolves had no interest in her. Rejection wasn't nearly as painful as the loss of her family and friends, but it was still hurtful, and she soon began to think it was better to close herself off from others in fear of being wounded further.

But, Riku was different. Even though he was human, Zahara liked him. It was rare, almost unheard of, for a werewolf to fall in love with a human. Thus, it surprised Zahara when she realized she was in love with Riku. She craved his affection, working harder and harder to please him, the slightest contact with him sending a jolt of pleasure coursing throughout her entire body. As much as she would have liked to tell him how she felt, she had never forgotten her past rejections and decided it was best to keep her mouth closed on the subject. Once, she had came close to confessing her affection, opening her mouth to speak before abruptly withdrawing and ceasing to talk at all for several hours. He had found her behavior strange, but had passed it off as nothing. After all, with her being a werewolf, he didn't understand many of her uncanny ways.

Now, as she raced through the barren land in wolf form, her ears and nose alert for any sound or scent that might lead her in the right direction, Zahara regretted not confessing her feelings for Riku. Only a few months before, Maleficent had fallen to Sora's Keyblade, leaving behind an even more menacing foe: a mysterious man known as Ansem.

While Zahara was busy with cleansing a brutal wound she endured during Riku's scuffle with Sora, Ansem had appeared and taken her beloved companion's weakness of heart to his advantage. She had been given the perfect opportunity to kill him, but, so long as he possessed Riku's form, Zahara was helpless against Ansem. How could she, no matter how angry, sink her fangs into the throat of someone who appeared as her only friend? It was simply impossible for her to attack.

Though Zahara was as helpless as a newborn pup against Ansem, Sora was not. As soon as he was defeated, Ansem fled, and Sora was eager to pursue soon after. Zahara, desperate to know that Riku was alright, followed Sora and his allies to the End of the World. As soon as he appeared, Ansem had left Riku's body, and Zahara had unleashed her anger. Glad to have the werewolf's strength on his side, Sora allowed Zahara to join him in the oncoming string of battles, each more difficult than the last.

By the time the events of the final fight with Ansem came around, Zahara was desperate to know what had happened to Riku. Blinded by her rage, she didn't hesitate to leap past Sora, Donald, and Goofy and latch her jaws around Ansem's forearm. Sora shouted a warning as Ansem swung his weapon, but his words came too late. The sword struck Zahara's right leg forcefully, the sickening shatter of bone filling the dark air seconds before an agonized yelp. Zahara withdrew, going limp as she floated in midair with the others, the wind brushing her aside.

When Zahara had regained her consciousness, she was lying on a solid platform of pale gray stone, distantly aware of Sora's voice as he argued over something with Donald and Goofy. Suddenly, her nose had been invaded by Riku's familiar scent and, ignoring the protesting throb of her leg, she limped forward just in time to see the whisper of, "Take care of her," on Riku's lips before the massive, all-white door fell closed and sealed her friend behind it.

A miserable howl had been Zahara's only response.

Time had passed. Zahara had found a place to rest until her leg could heal, before she proceeded to pursue Riku. She didn't know if she would find him. She didn't even know where to look. But, she did know that she was unconditionally in love with Riku, and she _was_ going to try finding him, regardless of how hopeless her mission seemed. He was her sanctuary, her only light in the dark world she had always known. He freed her of her fears and her lies and her wretched memories.

Often, as she paused to rest for a few hours before beginning her hapless search again, she would remind herself that, if she had not let Riku out of her sight for those precious five minutes, Ansem would have never laid a finger on him without her ripping his hand off. Another, more positive voice reminded her that, with no physical form at the moment, Ansem had no hand for her to rip off. She decided that, nonetheless, if she hadn't strayed from Riku's side, she could have protected him. She blamed herself for everything.

_I watch you fast asleep_

_All I fear means nothing_

_In you and I, there's a new land_

_Angels in flight_

_(I need more affection than you know)_

_My sanctuary, my sanctuary_

_Where fears and lies melt away_

_Music in time_

_(I need more affection than you know)_

_What's left of me, _

_What's left of me? _

Another three months passed, before Zahara's relentless search at last ended. Her reunion with Riku wasn't as she would have liked it to be, a time when she would cry out his name and throw her arms around him. Instead, Zahara found Riku crumpled in the corner of a dark alley, clutching his injured shoulder as a massive swarm of Shadows raked their claws over his back and legs.

He was more than a little surprised when a familiar, giant she-wolf exploded into the battle, disassembling the black wave, Heartless-by-Heartless, with both her brutal fangs and her sword, a weapon called the Moonlit Song. When, at last, the horde of Shadows was vanquished, Zahara returned to her human form, turning to smile at Riku. He returned her soft grin, but, with his sprained shoulder, a welcoming embrace was out of the question.

"Zahara," Riku whispered. "How did you find me?"

The black-haired werewolf smiled again, resting a gentle hand on his wrenched shoulder to massage him soothingly. For a moment, she was silent before answering, "I just kept looking."

"How long have you been looking for me, exactly?" he prompted. She counted the four months in her head before replying. "Zahara," he mumbled in awe. "Do you have any idea how far you must have walked? How many worlds you must have traveled through?"

"I don't care how far I had to come, Riku," she replied. "It's all worth it now. I found you." She froze, her hand still rested upon his shoulder, tears beginning to fill her eyes.

"I found you," she repeated. "I found you!" Forgetting his sprained shoulder, she threw her arms around his torso, squeezing him as tightly as she could, bursting into ecstatic tears. "Riku, I found you!"

He blinked the surprise from his eyes, winding his arms around her to return her embrace. His shoulder screamed in protest, but he ignored the searing pain. If Zahara wanted a hug, it was worth straining a pulled muscle to give it to her; sure as the world, she deserved it.

Remembering his sprained shoulder, she loosened her grip on him significantly, smiling as she whispered, "I missed you. I missed you so much."

The silver moonlight dancing on black eyelashes, Zahara met and held Riku's ice blue gaze for a few moments, before giving him a final squeeze and releasing him from her embrace. Her actions had astonished her, almost as much as they had surprised Riku. If she hadn't been so ecstatic, she would have never had the nerve to wrap an arm around him, much less give him such a prolonged hug.

"I'm sorry, Riku," she said. Indicating his sprained shoulder, she added, "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"It's alright," he reassured her. Glancing at the full moon, now high in the midnight sky, he continued, "I have a feeling we won't be finding a hotel this late at night. We'll have to sleep outside." With a sheepish smile, he added, "Sorry, Z. I know you must be tired."

"You're shoulder will heal a lot faster if you rest," Zahara replied. "You should get some sleep."

Indicating the concrete the two sat on, he answered, "I doubt we'll get any sleep tonight."

"I'll phase into my wolf form," she offered. "And you can use my side as a pillow." He opened his mouth to protest, but she quickly interrupted, "It's fine, Riku. I'll be alright without sleep for another night."

Zahara stood, giving him no chance to respond before a massive tremor raced down her spine, fur exploding over her alabaster skin as she became canine. Settling down on the concrete, she watched as Riku moved to lean against her broad flank, resting his head at her shoulder blades with his unharmed arm loosely draped over her back. Cradling the arm of his sprained shoulder against his chest, he closed his eyes, only to open them again an instant later.

"Zahara, there are a lot of Heartless around here," he warned, shuddering inwardly as he remembered the massive swarm of Shadows that had cornered him in the alley, imagining what might have happened if Zahara hadn't rushed to his rescue.

She snorted, her lips upturning to reveal glistening, snow white fangs underneath. Though her English was vanquished with her change in form, her reply to his warning was clear.

"Thanks, Z," he whispered, extending a hand to pat her head before settling down to rest, wishing her goodnight as his eyelids drifted closed.

Zahara's fuchsia gaze swept over her sleeping friend, his entire torso shifting with each gentle rise and fall of her flank, a result of her near-silent breathing. A chilly breeze ruffled her thick fur and, noticing the grimace on her sleeping companion's lips, she rested her lush tail over him, the limb enveloping him like a quilt.

Just as Riku had suspected, the Heartless arrived in the mouth of the alley, only minutes after the silver-haired teen had fallen asleep on Zahara's flank. The werewolf lifted her head from her forelegs, her lips drawn back in a menacing snarl. A snarl slipped through her teeth.

"Come a little closer," she growled threateningly, her fur beginning to bristle. "I dare you."

Even the Heartless were smart enough to know better than to anger Zahara, their bright yellow eyes glinting as they vanished into the night.

Returning her attention to the sleeping Riku, Zahara smiled, her jaws parted and her pink tongue lolling from her mouth. Since their separation four months before, he had changed quite a bit. His silver hair had grown until it curtained to well below his shoulders, and his previous attire had been exchanged for larger, more suitable clothing for his taller, more developed build. Absentmindedly, she wondered if he returned her feelings, longing to feel those toned arms around her, to tangle her fingers in that silvery mane.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she reminded herself how unlikely it was for such an attractive boy to choose a werewolf over another human. As timid as she was, she doubted he would ever even know how she felt. With a weary sigh, she returned her head to her forelegs, staring at the alley's entrance intently, waiting for another band of Heartless to pass by. She was exhausted, but protecting Riku was more important than sleep in her book. After all, what would she be without him?

_(So many ups and downs)_

_My heart's a battleground_

_(I need true emotions)_

_(I need more affection than you know)_

_(I need true emotions)_

"Are you _sure _you're okay to keep going?" Riku demanded. Zahara blinked tiredly, yawning as she staggered to her feet beside him.

"I'll be fine," she replied.

"Are you sure?" he prompted.

"Yes, Riku, I'm fine," she insisted. She had dozed off once or twice during the night, struggling to remain vigilant for Heartless.

"Maybe we should rest for a little while?" he suggested. Zahara shook her head, her jaws parting in another yawn.

"After a good run, I'll be fine," she answered. Dropping to all fours, she gave herself a quick shake before crouching on the concrete.

Riku cocked an eyebrow at her. Rolling her eyes, she rose to her full height, ducking her head between his legs and pulling him from the ground to straddle her massive throat.

"Oh, I see," he mumbled, clutching her thick mane for support as she took a few steps.

Suddenly, they were flying. The surrounding city was nothing but a blur as Zahara rocketed through the streets. Riku's stomach clenched as she swerved around a corner, wrapping his arms around her throat as she flew. He had seen Zahara in action many times before, but he had never expected her to be so fast in person. It was an almost nauseating experience, and he was relieved when she finally slowed to a trot somewhere outside the city boundaries.

"Where are we going?" he asked. He felt her shoulders rise and fall in a light shrug underneath him. He noted that she seemed much more awake after their supersonic dash.

"Listen, Zahara," Riku said. "I'm looking for my friend Sora. Do you remember him?" She nodded. "We should look around here for a little while," he continued. "And leave if we don't find anything."

He scrambled to catch his balance as Zahara dipped her head to investigate the ground. She glanced at him, a distinctive frown on her lips.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She inhaled, sniffing a tuft of grass.

As she returned to her human embodiment, she collapsed beneath his weight, falling to the ground on her stomach. He landed on top of her, the sudden weight knocking the wind out of Zahara as she was crushed underneath him.

"Ow," Riku muttered as he sat up.

"Riku, please, get off," Zahara requested, half-winded. Obvious embarrassment plastered to his face, he moved to sit beside her in the grass. In the distance, he heard the distinct whistling of a train.

Catching her breath, Zahara spoke, "I haven't seen Sora in months. I don't remember his scent very well, so I don't think I'll be able to track him. Sorry, Riku."

"It's alright," he replied. "We'll bump into him, sooner or later, if we keep looking. I'm still convinced you're too tired to keep going, so we'll rest in a hotel tonight and leave for another world tomorrow."

She smiled and nodded, rolling over in the grass to gaze at the pale blue sky.

"I like it here," she announced after a few minutes of quiet. "It reminds me of home."

"Where were you born again?" he asked.

"The Deep Jungle," she answered. "Well, actually, I wasn't born there, but it's the first place I can really remember. I was born in another world, but my mother once told me we had to leave only a few hours after my siblings and I were born."

"Have you ever thought about going back?" Riku inquired. "To the Deep Jungle, I mean."

"Of course," Zahara replied. "I miss my home, but…there's no one waiting for me there. I don't have anything to go back to but an empty den. I'd much rather stay with you."

"After all I've done to you," he wondered. "Why do you keep following me?"

She looked at him, adulation glittering in her exotic eyes, and smiled. "Because you're my best friend."

_You show me how to see_

_That nothing is whole and nothing is broken_

_In you and I, there's a new land_

_Angels in flight_

_(I need more affection than you know)_

_My sanctuary, my sanctuary_

_Where fears and lies melt away_

_Music in time_

_(I need more affection than you know)_

_What's left of me, _

_What's left of me now? _

Grinning, Riku asked, "Is that the only reason?"

"No." She shook her head, a faint trace of color visible in her alabaster cheeks. "You're my sanctuary."

"Your sanctuary?" he questioned. She nodded.

"My sanctuary," she repeated. "Where my fears and lies melt away."

_My fears, my lies…_

_Melt away_

_(I need more affection than you know)_

**A/N: Isn't the song lovely? ^^ I really hate how this came out, but…I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are welcomed. And you should enter my DeviantART contest, too! **

**::Sheba:: **


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